Stone's illustration for Book 3, "A Long Lane," Chapter 12,
"Meaning Mischief,"
appeared in the June, 1865, instalment. The scene is the Lammles'
breakfast parlour
where the couple have recently considered their prospects and have
mutually agreed
to use their knowledge of Rokesmith's proposal to Bella to manipulate Boffin to
discharge the secretary and replace him with Alfred Lammle in order to
advance their
larger scheme of defrauding Boffin. Seeing Fascination Fledgeby
arriving at their
door, Lammle retreats, leaving his wife to deal with their
inconvenient acquaintance. [continued below]

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When Sophronia Lammle reveals their temporary difficulty with a
money-lender who is
a mutual acquaintance, Fledgeby promises to be of assistance to the Lammles in
intervening on their behalf with Riah of Pubsey & Co. In fact, in his
true guise
as the firm's owner, Fledgeby subsequently enjoins his employee to act
on Lammle's
note and move to confiscate the Lammles' furniture at their Sackville
Street residence.
Although the illustration does not in the least suggest Fledgeby's
duplicity, Stone
captures well Mrs. Lammle's feeling of discomfort at Fledgeby's
kissing her hand to
seal his promise of assistance. The passage which terminates in
Fledgeby's chivalric
gesture is this:

'Alfred, dear Mr. Fledgeby, discussed with me this very
morning before he went out, some prospects he has, which might entirely
change the aspect of his present troubles.'

'Really?' said Fledgeby.

'O yes!' Here Mrs. Lammle brought her handkerchief into
play. 'And you know, dear Mr. Fledgeby — you who study the human
heart, and study the world — what an affliction it would be to
lose position and to lose credit, when ability to tide over a very
short time might save all appearances.'

'Oh!' said Fledgeby. 'Then you think, Mrs. Lammle, that
if Lammle got
time, he wouldn't burst up? — To use an expression,' Mr. Fledgeby
apologetically explained, 'which is adopted in the Money Market.'

'Indeed yes. Truly, truly, yes!'

'That makes all the difference,' said Fledgeby. 'I'll
make a point of
seeing Riah at once.'

'Blessings on you, dearest Mr. Fledgeby!'

'Not at all,' said Fledgeby. She gave him her hand. 'The
hand,' said Mr
Fledgeby, 'of a lovely and superior-minded female is ever the repayment
of a —

'

'Noble action!' said Mrs. Lammle, extremely anxious to
get rid of him.

'It wasn't what I was going to say,' returned Fledgeby,
who never would,
under any circumstances, accept a suggested expression, 'but you're very
complimentary. May I imprint a — a one — upon it? Good
morning!'[488-489]